"Shirou, don't you have club activities today?"
"I have something I need to take care of, so I'm heading home early. I've already taken a leave of absence from both the Archery and Kendo clubs."
"That's a shame. I was hoping to ask you for a few more pointers."
"Haha, sorry about that. Maybe tomorrow."
"See you then!"
Leaving the school grounds with practiced ease, Shirou Emiya made his way toward a specific residence: the home of his teacher.
"Hmm? Sensei?"
"Is she not here?"
Using his key to let himself in, Shirou didn't see the "Young-looking" woman who served as his instructor.
"This is going to be a problem. I was planning to get here early and have dinner ready for her."
He scratched his head, feeling a bit troubled. He couldn't sense her presence anywhere in the house.
It seemed she had gone out.
"Well, given the time, she should be back soon."
"I might as well get started."
He walked into the kitchen with the familiarity of someone who had done this a thousand times. He opened the refrigerator, pulled out the prepared ingredients, and began to cook.
This had been his routine for nearly ten years.
Aside from practicing "Magecraft" under her tutelage, his training also included Kendo and various forms of close-quarters combat.
Because he had to take care of his teacher, he had even made a point of mastering culinary skills from a young age.
Once everything was prepared and sitting on the stove to stay warm, Shirou made his way toward the renovated dojo.
The villa had supposedly been a gift to his teacher from some incredibly powerful individual.
In the years since, his teacher had even expanded the property to include a training hall for his education.
His eyes landed on a specific sword hanging on the wall. Shirou walked forward and took it down.
This was something he had found when he was a child.
[Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi].
His teacher had told him it was the genuine article, which meant it could never be taken outside the property.
As a child, he had struggled just to lift the heavy blade, but now he could wield it with effortless ease.
Unlike Rin, Sakura, or Illya, Shirou was something of a polymath.
He had a solid grasp of Magecraft.
But when it came to weaponry,swords, bows, spears,he had mastered them all. Years of intense training had given him a sturdy, athletic build. Even Shinji Matou tended to offer him a wary, somewhat fearful look these days.
In the words of another instructor named "Waver," Shirou was less of a magus and more of a "Servant-like existence."
Memories of his childhood flickered through his mind. That dark silhouette and the gentle face of the man who had saved him had left a profound impact on his life.
The residents of Fuyuki City might have forgotten the incident, but for Shirou, it was a moment carved into the very core of his being.
It wasn't just admiration; it was a sincere connection to the man's ideals and actions that drove Shirou forward.
"?"
As he was about to return the sword to its rack, a blinding red light erupted from the back of his left hand.
A crimson mark manifested on his skin, and a glowing orb suddenly materialized before him. A massive influx of unknown information surged into his mind.
By the time he regained his senses, he was no longer in the dojo. He was standing in the middle of a desolate wasteland.
"..."
Shirou looked at the long sword in his hand, momentarily speechless.
Dragon Ball War.
Servant Summoning.
Team Battle.
He had heard vague mentions of such things from his teacher, but he had never expected to be dragged into it himself.
The image of the hero in black armor flashed through his mind again. Perhaps now he truly understood what had happened ten years ago.
"Are my teammates nearby?"
"I wonder who they are..."
He had been informed that there were four other members on his team, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of concern.
If they were complete strangers, the lack of trust and coordination would be a significant hurdle.
"I suppose I should summon my Servant first."
He thrust the sword into the ground and looked at the ritual circle that had materialized before him.
"I declare..."
He began to chant the incantation. As the light from the circle intensified, a massive volume of magical energy began to swirl around him.
BOOM!
A cloud of thick smoke erupted, and a figure emerged from the center of the light.
"Hmm?"
Before he could even see the newcomer's face, the entity seemed to be even more surprised than he was.
When the smoke cleared, Shirou found himself staring at a face that was remarkably similar to his own. The man shared a similar build and features.
"I suppose I've been summoned to a rather extraordinary place this time, haven't I?"
"And what exactly is the reason for my presence here?"
The man spoke with a level of maturity and world-weariness that contradicted his youthful appearance.
He looked at the young man before him and recognized the "Container" he was inhabiting.
The existence known as "Shirou Emiya."
"Kid, that sword in your hand..."
Before Shirou could even ask a question, the man,Muramasa,seemed to have noticed something incredible. He reached out and grabbed the weapon Shirou had thrust into the ground.
"I never expected to see this blade here..."
"It's been well-maintained."
He looked genuinely pleased, recognizing the identity of the weapon as he examined the [Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi].
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"I am a swordsmith from Ise Province."
"Senji Muramasa!"
"My class is Saber."
"Uh... my name is..."
SWISH!
The sound of an approaching projectile cut through the air, causing both of them to snap into defensive stances.
CLACK!
Muramasa flicked the [Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi], easily knocking an incoming arrow out of the air.
"Archer! Why are you attacking without permission?!"
"I told you, that's someone I know!"
A familiar voice echoed from a nearby wooded area, causing Shirou to freeze.
"That voice..."
As he had suspected, a girl with twin tails and a school uniform stepped out from the trees.
"Rin?"
"It really is you, Shirou. I thought the mana signature felt familiar."
The two of them recognized each other immediately.
Their relationship had developed to a point where calling each other by their first names was no longer unusual.
"I'm glad you're here. I was worried about what I'd do if I ended up with a bunch of strangers."
"But... why are there two of you?"
Rin paused, her expression shifting to one of total confusion.
Why was she looking at two versions of Shirou Emiya?!!
"I..."
"He's my Servant. His name is Muramasa. For some reason, he looks exactly like me..."
Before Muramasa could decide whether or not to explain the situation, Shirou offered a straightforward, honest answer.
"Don't worry, Saber. Rin is a friend. She's my childhood companion."
Shirou explained the situation to Muramasa, displaying an absolute lack of suspicion toward Rin.
His candid, open attitude left Muramasa feeling a sense of wonder.
Unlike the "Shirou" he usually inhabited, this young man seemed to be quite different.
After all, Rin's Servant had just launched an actual attack.
"Archer, stop hiding over there and come out and apologize!"
Rin looked genuinely happy to be so implicitly trusted. She puffed out her chest and turned toward the trees, shouting at her Servant.
CLACK...
As the figure emerged from the forest, both Shirou and Muramasa scrutinized his appearance.
Slightly tanned skin, black eyes, and stark white hair and eyebrows. He was tall and well-built.
The man stared at them with a stiff, almost frozen expression.
"Is he...?"
"That's actually a bit of a problem. He claims there was an issue with the summoning ritual, and his memory is a bit fragmented. He can't even remember his own name."
Rin looked at her Servant with a look of extreme frustration.
"A ritual malfunction?"
"Amnesia?"
Muramasa and Shirou looked at the Archer with suspicious gazes.
'This man...'
Muramasa felt a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity when looking at the Archer.
But for the life of him, he couldn't pinpoint the source of the feeling.
"It doesn't matter..."
"How can you say it doesn't matter?! If you have a [Noble Phantasm] tied to your name, you won't be able to use it!"
Even in a formal situation, Rin usually tried to maintain her aristocratic composure and elegance, but in front of Shirou, those barriers tended to drop.
BANG!!
"!"
The Archer,Red A,was about to say something when a gunshot rang out. He instinctively recoiled, the bullet grazing the bridge of his nose as it whizzed past.
He immediately turned his gaze toward the source of the shot.
A man with short white hair, black clothing, and skin even darker than his own was staring at him with a cold, predatory gaze. He held a gun in his hand, looking as though he were ready to pull the trigger again at any moment.
A black... Archer!
"Archer, please stop!"
A familiar voice called out, and Rin and Shirou both turned their heads.
A figure in a magus's outfit stepped into their field of vision.
"Sakura!"
"It's been a long time... Onee-sama, Shirou-san."
"Weren't you supposed to be in London?"
"Yes, but I seem to have been dragged into this. I'm relieved to see that my teammates are people I can trust."
The three of them shared a warm, familiar greeting.
Red A watched the scene, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.
If he remembered correctly, his own past hadn't been nearly this... exaggerated.
Even accounting for parallel worlds, this version of Shirou Emiya seemed to be living a significantly different life.
The black Archer kept his gun trained on him, looking as though he were disappointed he hadn't managed to kill him with the first shot.
'This guy...'
Red A could clearly sense the intense, focused killing intent radiating from the other man. He couldn't recall ever making an enemy of someone like this.
He was supposed to be a "CGI-Worker" for the Counter Force; he shouldn't have any personal "Enemies."
But before he could speculate further, the other man lowered his gun and pulled out a small notebook and pen, beginning to write something.
His eyes were narrowed, his expression one of strange, detached focus.
"Well, now that the three of us are together... I have a feeling the other person nearby is... Illya, isn't it?"
"It's possible."
"I certainly hope it is."
***
"Shirou?"
Illyasviel looked at the ragged figure who had emerged from her summoning circle with a look of total shock.
She had followed the ritual incantation exactly as she had been taught. Why was she looking at someone she knew?!
This wasn't right!
Was the ritual circle broken?
She hadn't made a single mistake in the chant...
Where had it gone wrong?
Illya held her head in her hands, her eyes wide with confusion.
This was something her two teachers had never mentioned in their lessons!!
"Uh..."
As the man,Miyuverse Shirou,took a ragged breath, his gaze fell upon the small girl with snow-white hair who was currently having a mental breakdown.
She seemed to recognize him.
Based on her appearance, she looked to be about the same age as Miyu.
But the sheer volume of magical energy she possessed marked her as an exceptional Master.
"I suppose I should consider myself lucky... or unlucky, depending on how you look at it."
Being summoned as an [Archer] was a situation he couldn't quite describe.
But he knew one thing for certain.
He had successfully escaped from Julian.
That was a good thing.
"But first, I suppose I have to make it out of here alive..."
His heavy injuries left him in an exceptionally weakened state.
Fortunately, as a Servant, he could draw mana from his Master to facilitate his recovery.
As long as he had a little time, he would be able to heal.
But as it stood, he felt as though he were on the verge of losing consciousness.
CLACK...
"Ah?!"
Illya watched in horror as the man collapsed onto the ground before her.
Why was this happening?!
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!!!"
***
"Hmm... those mana signatures... are they Shirou and the others?"
"Rin, Sakura, and Illya are all here as well."
A blonde woman in a tailored suit stood on a rocky outcrop, sensing the familiar presence of her companions.
"I never expected to be summoned again after ten years."
Artoria Pendragon looked down at the crimson mark on the back of her hand, her voice filled with a profound sense of nostalgia.
She hadn't anticipated such a turn of events.
Ten years ago, she had participated in the Dragon Ball War as Kiritsugu's Servant.
Now, she was returning with a dual status: both a Master and a [Saber].
Fortunately, it was a team battle this time, and her companions were the students she had been looking after.
As for how this Dragon Ball War would unfold, even Artoria couldn't predict.
Having survived the previous conflict, she knew better than to underestimate any opponent. This war would likely feature incredibly formidable enemies.
"I have to ensure they all make it back safely..."
She resolved that she wouldn't allow those children to die in this unfamiliar world.
No matter what kind of enemy stood in her path, she would protect them.
***
"What is it, Master?"
"Are you still concerned about Assassin?"
Inside the church, Semiramis looked at the pensive Shirou Kotomine.
"No. He understands the situation. It won't be an issue."
"It's something else that's bothering me..."
"Even knowing I'm here, the Counter Force hasn't sent an additional Ruler to interfere. That's... unexpected."
"Is it? It seems like a good thing to me. One less obstacle to deal with."
Shirou was aware that his presence should have introduced a massive variable into the war.
The "People Up There" weren't fools; they wouldn't just sit by and watch him run rampant.
The logical course of action would be to deploy someone of the same class to intervene.
But despite all the Servants being summoned, there was still no sign of a [Ruler] manifesting.
It was as if they were truly intended to conduct a standard, regulated war.
The situation was proceeding so smoothly that it almost felt like a dream.
At least, for a former [Ruler] like himself...
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]